Buyers support youth in Mercer County

MERCER, Pa. – This year’s champion record at the Mercer County 4-H Roundup didn’t go to the steer, the hog or even the goat. Instead, it went to a single rabbit.
Jedediah Seltzer’s 3-pound grand champion fryer sold for $54 a pound to Cameron Pools.
That hard-hitting price more than doubled last year’s $25-a-pound winner.
Although much lower, the bid for the grand champion pen of rabbits also left 4-H’er Ashley Saunders with a grin. Pizza Joe’s paid $28 a pound for the 12-pound pen.
The sale Aug. 12 hit an overall sale total of $89,943.66 on 181 head, up from last year’s $87,252.
Prestons and hogs. Hog numbers were up this year, giving the Preston brother-sister duo lots to smile about.
First in the ring was Kimberly Preston with her 251-pound champ. Lackey Farms and French Creek Cafe paid the $5-a-pound winning bid, which was a $1.80-a-pound jump from last year’s champion hog price.
Kyle Preston fared almost as well as his sister with his 262-pound reserve champion hog. He received $4.20 a pound from Marsh Busing Inc. and Marsh Farms. That bid was up 60 cents from last year.
Reva Douglas and Giant Eagle gave a repeat performance this year with the grand champion carcass.
Douglas again had the 189-pound winning carcass and Giant Eagle again had the winning bid, this year at $2.50 a pound, down $1 a pound from what it paid last year.
Sparkle Market shelled out $2.60 a pound for Craig Schaefer’s 153-pound reserve champion carcass.
Eighty-three hogs averaged $1.71 a pound with champions, and eight hog carcasses averaged $1.62 a pound with champions.
Douglas wins again. Reva Douglas also kept up her winning ways in the steer show. She again took the top steer, this time a 1,240-pound champion. Hoss’s Steak and Sea House bought her steer for the second year in a row, paying $3 a pound. That bid was up from $2.10 a pound last year.
Mercer Livestock paid $1.35 a pound for Richard Henry’s 1,330-pound reserve champion.
Grand and reserve champion steer carcass prices were both $1.75 a pound.
First, Bittle Insurance bought repeat-winner Ryan Hancox’s 700-pound champion.
Cameron Pools purchased Katie Skidmore’s 681-pound reserve champion carcass.
Nineteen steers averaged $1.14 a pound with champions. Three steer carcasses averaged $1.87 a pound with champions.
McKeans and lambs. The McKean name stayed at the top of the list in the lamb sale. Rachel McKean’s 100-pound champion sold for $6 a pound to McCullough’s Farm Market and Corn Maze.
Cody McKean, last year’s champion, took the reserve lamb spot this year with his 127-pound animal. Mercer County State Bank and McQuiston Insurance paid $6.50 a pound for the winner, up $3.50 a pound from last year.
Bradley Foster’s 66-pound champion lamb carcass went to Pizza Joe’s for $6.75 a pound.
Thirty-nine lambs averaged $2.46 a pound with champions.
Three-dollar goats. The top two goats both brought $3 a pound.
First, Kacy Scott’s 92-pound champion sold to McCullough Fencing and Super Structures.
A.M. Construction then bought Madison Eichstadt’s 70-pound reserve champ.
Six goats averaged $1.38 a pound with champions.
(Reporter Kristy Hebert welcomes feedback by phone at 800-837-3419, ext. 23 or by e-mail at khebert@farmanddairy.com.)